A Tuesday

Today Kolby takes the Math TAKS. I'm not as anxious about this one as I was the Reading TAKS because Kolby has done fine in math with no problems. Still it was a red letter day for her. Now that this is over, third grade can hopefully get back to just being third grade, not "third grade preparing for the TAKS". Her class hasn't taken a field trip all year because they wait till the TAKS is over. The TAKS determines so much about the year for them. I pray everyone in her class passes!

Rhett was supposed to have a field trip today to visit a wild flower ranch, but since it is raining, I bet it was canceled. Rhett was sad that I couldn't go with his class but, Ella Kate had her nine month check-up this morning. We had rescheduled already so I wasn't going to back out again. Ella Kate is following in the steps of her siblings and staying true to the 75 percentile for height, weight and head circumference. Dr. K said all looked well and EK is progressing along fine. It was a sort of boring doctor visit.

As I drove home just now in the rain, I was mentally clicking down my list of things to do this week. It's a typical week. Baby shower on Saturday, soccer practice but no game, take a meal to a friend, take a salad to school, a dentist appointment, a field trip, a well check, dance, girls scouts, Rhett has a play date, gotta get that PTA scrapbook done, laundry, get shoes for the baby, take stuff back to Wal-mart... nothing to spectacular or out of the ordinary.... just typical Mom stuff.

Then it hit me how blessed I am to be having this week. This typical ole week. With my three healthy, and for the most part, happy kids, my hard working, loving husband, my messy, but comfortable house, my big family all healthy and near. I didn't do anything special or great to deserve these blessings. I know things can change in the blink of an eye, but right now I'm so thankful to be living this typical week in my life. It feels warm, secure and happy to have this type of week, though outwardly it probably appears boring, typical or mundane.

Perhaps I am feeling especially blessed because of the people at Virginia Tech whose lives are so far from ordinary this week. There was a time in my life when I would have felt a little guilty for being happy and secure in my life while tragedy has struck some one else so hard. If some horrible thing like what happened yesterday happened, I would have submerged myself in the tragedy and thought of little else. But over time God has taught me that for me there is a better way to handle such things. He has shown me time and again that everyone will have good and bad times. Every person on this planet will have splendidly good and terribly horrible times, times of great joy and great sorrow. It's not a matter of if, just a matter of when. The key for me is to appreciate the time I am in and really live it for all it is worth. I have to celebrate the good times and be so grateful for them because we are not assured of what lies ahead. I am only assured of who is in control. And HE commands my appreciation in all things.

And yes! I mourn for all those who were killed and hurt yesterday at Virgina Tech. How can anyone not? It is such an awful, awful tragedy. It hurts just to think about it! But I've come to think that I don't have to stay glued to the TV listening to every gory detail to honor those struck by this tragedy. Maybe the best thing I can do to honor those who hurt and grieve is to really and properly appreciate the blessing I have as I pray for them. Honoring the fallen should make me better, more loving and thankful.

So I haven't watched much about the shooting. I didn't even let my kids, especially Kolby, see that it happened last night. Today after her TAKS test, and after the authorities know a bit more about what happened and why, I will probably tell Kolby and Rhett what happened. They may already know about it. They may have questions.We may talk about it for a while. Then I'm hoping together we will pray for all those who are hurting because of this. And in that same prayer we will thank God for all our blessings and vow to do our best for HIM every day that we are blessed to be alive. Then, with a deeper appreciation in our hearts, I hope we talk about our day, get homework done, laugh,, eat dinner, do laundry, read and play with the baby. Just typical Tuesday night stuff.

I hope you to are in a place in life where you can celebrate all God has given you and thank him for the blessings of this wonderfully typical Tuesday, while praying earnestly for those going through such darkness.

Happy Tuesday!